Coordinated ironing and folding machine



May 19, 1931. w. FfMAYER COORDINATED IRONING 'AND, FOLDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wa/demorFMayer:

Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'WALDEMAR F. MAYER, 0F RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALBA COR- PORATION, OF ST. ALBAN S, VERMONT, A CORPORATION OF VERMONT COORDINATED IRONING AND FOLDING LMACHINE Application filed December 21, 1928. Serial No. 327,577. A

The present invention relates to improvements in ironing and folding machines, especially those for laundry service, and more particularly bears upon the coordination of the movements of the several parts of the machines.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide an ironing machine for smoothing laundered articles and to provide a folding mechanism at the outlet end of the ironing machine proper.

Acc'ording to the present invention such an ironing machine is provided with an automatic feeding device which predetermines the moment of insertion or feeding of the damp article with respect to the ironing mechanism, and this feeding device is so coordinated with respect to the folding machine that the feeding and folding are accomplished at predetermined relationships one with respect to one another.

Another feature of the present improvements is the provision. of a Variable speed drive for the timing device .which controls the movement of the feeding and folding machines so that the folding may be accomplished at different widths, these widths of fold being uniform for a given setting of the variable speed drive: but being greater or less according to the particular speed which is selected for the operation of the feeding and folding machines with respect to the ironing machine proper and its conveyors.

Further features of the invention reside in certain simplifications of construction with respect to the separated machines, and in the provision of structural parts whereby the foregoing and other features are attained.

-With these and other objects in view as will appear in the course of the following specification and claims, an illustrative form of the invention has been shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a conventional longitudinal section through a combined ironing and folding machine according to the present invention, showing the feeding device delivering a damp sheet to the ironing machine, and

. Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section through the variable speed mechanism, substantially on line 55 of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 3.

n Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 6. i

In these drawings, the present invention is shown as comprising a feeding machine, an ironing machine, a folding machine, and the several driving elements therefor. In particular, the folding machine is shown of a type adapted to form a four-fold or redouble-fold of the sheet delivered to it, the several folds bein of predetermined width. A mechanism or this purpose has already been disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 1,607,407, to which reference is made with respect to certain of the details of assembly and operation.

A main frame 10 supports the several parts described hereinafter, and is provided at its top with a heatable ironing shoe 11 having a plurality of ironing rolls 12 fitted in the usual ironing cavities on its upper surface. The article to be ironed is passed over the shoe and beneath the ironing rolls from right to left through the machlne, and after passing the last ironing roll 12 is deflected onto a traveling tape 14 which passes it back beneath the substantially fiat lower surface of the shoe 11 to the feeding end of the machine, where it is returned between the return fli ht of the tape 14 and the upper flight o a second delivery tape 15. The tape 14; is guided by the rollers 16, while the tape 15 is guided by the rollers 17, 18, 19.

The feeding machine comprises likewise endless tapes passing over a guide roller 21 of large diameter and a guide plate 22 of small diameter, the latter being above and close to the upper surface of the ironing shoe 11 (see Flgs. 1 and 2).

At the right hand end of the machine, Figs. 1 and 2, is provided a shaft 23 extending transversely of the machine and parallel to the axis of the ironing rolls 12 and the uide roller 21. Levers 24 are pivoted on fins shaft 23 and one of them has a lower extension 25 with a roller 26 to en-.

gage a cam operating system, as will be described in further detail hereinafter. The upper arms 24 of these levers carry a feeding bar 27 which extends for the full width of the machine, being supported at each side of the machine by a respective lever 24.

The folding machine is located beneath the guide roller 19 for the .tape 15 and may be supported on separate standards 28 having the transverse rolls 29, 30 thereon, these r0 ls usually being cloth covered for greater friction upon the sheet to be folded. A rock shaft 31' likewise transversely mounted in the standards 28 carries the folding levers 32 having a folding blade 33 extending transversely across the folding mechanism and moving with the levers 32 about the shaft 31 while remaining parallel to the axes of the ironing rolls l2 and the rollers 19, 29, 30. .A link34 connects the lower end of a folding lever 32 with a rock arm 35 pivoted on the shaft 23 and having a roller 36 adapted to be operated by av second cam, as will be described hereinafter.

It is preferred to provide a constant speed drive for the entire mechanism, here represented by the electric motor M having a drivin chain connection 37 to a sprocket on a jac shaft 38, which in turn is connected by a chain 39'to a sprocket on one of the connecting gears 40 which mesh with gears on the shafts of the ironing rolls 12, so that these rolls are driven at all times in the same direction and at uniform constant speeds. One of the connecting gears 40 is provided with a sprocket for a drive chain 41 passing over sprockets fixed to the shafts of the tape guide rollers 16, 17, whereb these tapes are driven at a constant speed. 'l he shaft of the guide roller 17 is illustrated as having a further sprocket for a chain drive 42 which operates a sprocket 43 in the variable speed mechanism, as will be described hereinafter, this sprocket 43 likewise being driven at a constant speed. The sprocket 22a drives the feed tapes 20.

Another of the connecting gears 40 has fixed thereto a sprocket to move a drive chain 44 which actuates sprockets on the shafts of the two folding rolls 29, 30, so that these rolls also move at a constant speed.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 7, and to the variable speed mechanism shown therein, it will be seen that the sprocket wheel 43 is fixed on a shaft passing through a housing 51, and having a key-way within the housing. A sliding and rocking bracket 52 is mounted around the shaft 50 within this housing, and has journaled therein the stub shafts 53, 54 at each side of and parallel to the shaft 50. A gear 55 is slidable along the shaft 50 and is keyed for rotation therewith: this gear is likewise guided and moved by the bracket 52, and is at all times in mesh with the driven rocker gears 56, 57 respectively carried by theshafts 53, 54.

Two jackshafts 58, 59 are journaled in the housing 51, and are each parallel to the shaft 50. Each of these jack shafts carries a nest of gears S or F of varying sizes, the gears varying preferably by regular gradations from a high number to a low num ber' of teeth, as can be clearly seen from Fig. 7. The right hand end gear of each nest S or F is in mesh with a driven gear 60 keyed on a cam shaft 61, so that no matter which one of the gears of the nests S or. F be driven, a driving train is established from the sprocket 43 by shaft 50, gear 55, rocker gear 56 or 57, nest S or F, to the gear 60 and thence to the cam shaft 61.

A slot 62 is formed in the casing 51, extending helically with respect to the axis of the shaft 50, and having a number of offset notches s, f therefrom corresponding in number and axial spacing to the number and spacing of the gears in the nests S, F. The bracket 52 has an upstanding boss thereon to guide a plunger rod 63 (Figs. 5 and 6), having a stop collar 64, a lockin collar 65 and a thin guide stem 66 and finally the handle 67 thereon. A coil spring 68 is located between the stop collar 64 and the top of the boss on the bracket 52. The stop collar 65 is of such diameter as to enter and be held in the enlarged ends of the notches s, 7, while the connecting stem 66 slides freely out of the respective notch and along the central slot 62. It will be understood that when the collar 65 is engaged in any notch s, f, one or the other of the gears 56, 57 is in mesh with one of the nest gears S, F, corresponding to the particular notch: and that, when the spacing collar 66 is in the slot 62, both gears 56 and 57 are disengaged from both of the nests S, F.

The cam shaft 61, is likewise journaled' in the housing, but extends therethrough and at its outer end receives the hubs oftwo cams 70 and 71, which are fixed to move with the shaft 61. The cam 70 operates to move the roller 26 of the lever arm 25 while the cam 71 operates the roller 36 of the rock arm 35.

In operation, the attendant takes a damp sheet and suspends its upper edge over the .transverse bar 27, by far the greater length the bar 27 (Fig. 2 As the motor M operates, the ironing evice and delivery tapesare moved at a constant speed, and therewith also the cams 7 O, 71 are driven at a speed selected by the prevailing position of the handle 67. At some moment, the cam 70 in its clockwise movement in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, causes an outward rocking of the lower end of the lever 25, whereby the transverse bar 27 is moved from the position of Fig. 2 into that of Fig. 1, and the operator by releasing the "small retained front edge of the damp sheet, delivers this sheet properly justified for-movement through the ironing mecha- IllSIIl.

The constantly moving feed tapes 20 now take up the sheet and carry its front edge forward and between'the first ironing roll 12 and the upper surface of the shoe 11. The sheet now'passes forward throu h the ironing machine on the upper side of the shoe, is

' lationships of the cams 70fand 71 are '56., adjusted that a sheet is delivered to the for example, has

deflected by the uide 13 and returned along the bottom sur ace of the shoe, and then back again so that it is finally delivered, dry and ironed, from the tapes at the delivery guide roll 19, and during the continuous.

movement of the tapes, more and more of the sheet hangs down vertically from opposite the edge of this roll 19. Thepositi'ons of the two cams and 71 are so correlated angularly with respect to one another, i. e,-

by the relationship of the radial lines a, and b in Fig. 3, that folding is produced at predetermined times. When the sheet begins to move over the edge of the roll 19 and to dra e therefrom, the foldin lever 32 is up in t e position shown in ig. 2, so that the first part of the sheet is on the right hand side of the folding blade 33," as at I. When about one-quarter of the sheet, passedopposite the blade 33, the cam 71 attains a position in which the folding lever 32 is permitted to rock back into the osition shown in'Fig. 1, and the sheet during its constant forward feed by the delivery tapes, now forms a depending loop II (Fig. 1) on the left hand side of the position of'the folding blade 33.. When two further quarters of the sheet'have thus been delivered on the left hand side of the rocked upward in a counterclockwise direction about itsshaft 31in Fig. 1, thus tucking thesheetbetween the folding 'rolls 29,

30 (Fig. 2), andv theserolls now seize the redoubled edge and draw thev sheet from folding blade 33 and deliver it overxa' gu de apron 80, onto the rec iving table 81. g It will be understood thatthe angulanrefeeding tapes '20 at the proper instant so that after having traversed the upper surface of the ironing shoe 11, the lower surface thereof, and the flight of the tapes 14, 15, a proper width of this sheet is draped from the roll 19 for folding at the predetermined.

hence by varying the speed of this cam, the I width of the folds established can be varied. For example, if the bracket 52 be moved so that one of its gears 56 and 57 meshes with a gear of the nests S or F havin alesser .number of teeth, then the speed 0 the cam 71 will be increased, resultingin more movements of the folding blade 33 during a given time, and hence in more movements during the passage of a given width of sheet through the action of the constantly moving tapes and ironing rolls, thus corresponding to the folding of the articles in narrower widths.

Vice versa, the engagement of one of the gears 56, 57 with a gear of the nests S or F having a greater number of teeth, will produce a slower movement of the cam 71, and therewith also a greater width of the folded sheets.

It will be noted that according to the il lustrative example shown, the articles are folded in widths which are predetermined by the variable speed ratio which has been selected: and that this Width of fold is invariable for the selected speed, regardless of the size or length of the article to be folded: and that, in the particular illustration, a re-doublin or four-fold is produced.

It .will urther be noted that the proper timing of the movement of the folding blade 33 with respect to the sheet is attained by controlling the feeding of the sheet to the ironing machine by actuation of the transverse bar 27. Further, the faster the folding occurs, the faster the feeding, or in other words two four-foot towels may be ironed and folded in the same time as one eight foot sheet, the variable speed gear for this purpose being adjusted to give twice the rotationals eed to the cam system.

The c ange of speed is readily effected by depressing the handle 67 and moving the thin stem 66 into the central slot 62-and alongthe slot and into the desired other notch s, f, whereupon, a release of the handle etwill cause the spring 68 to move the lockinggcoll ar 65 into position in the respective notch}- Where it isdesired to maintain a con- .;stant distance between successive articles,

regardless of the predetermined width of fold, a relative angular adjustment for this purpose is made between'the cams 70 and ferred likewise '71. For this purpose, the cam 70 is keyed directly to the shaft 61, while the cam 7l-is loose upon the shaft 61, but can be clamped fixedly thereto by the nut 82. It is preto provide an indicator 83 on the outer cam 71 and a scale 84: on the face of the inner cam 70, the scale being divided to correspond to the actual Widths of fold to be produced, and by the displacement of the indicator 83 along the scale, the cams may be set at such an angle relative to one another that a constant distance, e. g., three inches, between successive articles is maintained by the coordination of the feeding and folding mechanisms.

The invention is not limited to the employment of folding devices for accomplishing a redoubling or four-fold, but any desired type of folding mechanism and folding devices may be employed in conjunction with the feeding device, whereby the operation of feeding an article to the iron causes a justification and proper timed relation of the article with respect to the folding machine itself.

I claim:

1. In an ironing and folding machine, an ironing mechanism having ironing and conveying devices and feeding devices to deliver a sheet to said ironing mechanism, a folding machine to receive the ironed sheet from said conveying devices and including a movable folding device, means to drive said conveying devices, and means connected to said driving means to actuate said feeding and folding devices coordinately and in timed relationship to one an other whereby the sheet may be folded in definite predetermined widths.

2. In an ironing and folding machine, an ironing mechanism having ironing and conveying devices and feeding devices to deliver a sheet to said ironing mechanism, a folding machine to receive the ironed sheet from said conveying devices and including a movable folding device, means to drive said conveying devices at a constant speed, and means connected to said driving means to actuatesaid feeding and folding devices coordinately and in timed relationship to one another and at predetermined time intervals during the constant movement of said conveying devices whereby the sheet may be folded in definite predetermined widths.

3. In a machine as in claim 2, the inclusion of a variable speed drive between the constant speed driving means and said actuating means whereby the predetermined timed relationship between said feeding and folding devices and said conveying devices may be varied.

4. In an ironing and folding machine having a frame, an ironing mechanism having ironing and conveying devices and feedmeagre ing devices to deliver a sheet to said ironing mechanism, means to drive said conveying devices at a constant speed, a shaft driven from said driving means, a cam device fixed on said shaft, a rocker on said frame and operatively engaged by said cam devices to be actuated with said shaft, a feed bar operated from said rocker to deliver a sheet to be ironed and folded at timed intervals to said feeding devices, a folding machine to receive an ironed sheet from said conveying devices and including a movable folder blade, means to operate said folder blade from said cam device, and a variable speed drive between the constant speed driv- .ing means and the said shaft whereby to vary the rate of drive of said cam device.

5. In an ironing and folding machine having a frame, an ironing mechanism having ironing devices and conveying devices,

means to drive said conveying devices at a' constant speed, a shaft driven from said driving means, a pair of cams fixed to said shaft, a pair of rockers pivoted on said frame and operatively engaged by res ective cams to be actuated with said sha t, a feed bar connected to one of said rockers to be operated thereby to deliver a sheet to be ironed and folded at timed intervals to said feeding devices, a folding machine to receive the ironed sheet from said conveying devices and including a movable folder blade, and a connection between said other rocker and said folder blade whereby to operate the folder blade at a predetermined timed relationship with respect to the delivery of a sheet to said feeding devices.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WALDEMAR F. MAYER. 

